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Author Topic: Origins of the bow in Eastern U.S.  (Read 422 times)
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LaBelleRiviere
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« on: February 04, 2007, 02:06:31 PM »

The Adoption of the Bow and Arrow in Eastern North America: A View from Central Arkansas
Michael S. Nassaney, Kendra Pyle
American Antiquity, Vol. 64, No. 2 (Apr., 1999), pp. 243-263

Abstract

North American archaeologists have long been interested in distinguishing between dart and arrow points in order to establish when bow-and-arrow technology was adopted in the Eastern Woodlands. A quantitative analysis of point form and qualitative reconstructions of bifacial reduction trajectories from Plum Bayou culture sites in central Arkansas indicate that arrow points were abruptly adopted and became widespread about A.D. 600. Moreover, arrow points are metrically discrete entities that were not developed through gradual modification of dart points in this region as appears to be the case elsewhere. Comparisons with patterns observed in other regions of the East show significant variation in the timing, rate, and direction of the adoption of the bow and arrow, as well as the role of this technological change in Native American economies and sociopolitics. These observations suggest that the bow and arrow were: (1) introduced significantly earlier than some researchers have posited; (2) independently invented by some groups and diffused to others; and (3) relinquished and later readopted in some areas of the Eastern Woodlands in response to changing social, historical, and environmental conditions. Our data also call into question simple unilinear or diffusionary models that claim to explain the development and spread of this technological innovation.

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7316%28199904%2964%3A2%3C243%3ATAOTBA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W&size=LARGE
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Contracting stemmed: What's the point?
Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology,  Spring 2002  by Boszhardt, Robert F


Experiments found that contracting-stemmed bifaces can function as hafted knives but are effective only if the haft is set with an adhesive such as pine pitch. Furthermore, the thick blade and sinuous edges found on most contracting-- stemmed bifaces (e.g., Waubesa points) produces a rough cut that is far less clean than slices easily produced on the same materials by unworked flakes. Nonetheless, some contracting-stemmed bifaces in the archaeological record (e.g., Goose Lake and Peisker knives, as well as points classified as "Dickson" in southern Wisconsin) have edges that were straightened through pressure flake retouching, and these appear to have served as hafted knives.

Avenues for future research on this topic include additional experiments to evaluate flight and penetration characteristics of small, notched tips fixed to foreshafts and of larger, straight- and contracting-stemmed points mounted directly to dart shafts. It is also intriguing that the demise of bannerstones, often thought to have served as atlatl weights, coincided almost exactly with the transition from Archaic to Woodland in the Eastern Woodlands (Knoblock 1939; Kwas 1981). Consequently, experiments should consider the effects of using bannerstones with various point-and-foreshaft combinations, including variations such as rigid versus flexible shafts.

Other potential lines of research may follow the path suggested by Nassaney and Pyle (1999:260) in looking at social, political, and economic factors influencing the adoption of new technologies. For example, the 500 years preceding European contact were dominated by the Madison triangular form. Like Waubesa contracting-stemmed points, triangular arrow tips are relatively easy to manufacture and to replace. Similarly, triangular forms were apparently intended to stay in the wound, allowing recovery of the much more difficult to manufacture arrow shaft. Like the contracting-stemmed points associated with skeletal remains at Indian Knoll, the detachable Madison point offered an obvious advantage in warfare. Indeed, several ethnographic sources segregate war points from hunting points on the basis of hafts designed to allow the point to remain in the wound of an enemy (Pyszczyk 1999:169).

Finally, any attempt to correlate evolutionary patterns of point form and technological change inevitably raises questions of temporal control and stylistic homogeneity. Historical accounts indicate that some Native American groups used multiple arrow tip styles for various functions, e.g., for hunting different types of game or for warfare (Pyszczyk 1999). Individual prehistoric cultures also might have manufactured a variety of projectile point "types" at any one time. Indeed, many point types are attributed to lengthy periods of manufacture by multiple cultures, their ages often overlapping the age estimates of other types. Waubesa points, for example, were originally attributed to Late Archaic through Middle Woodland cultures in southern Wisconsin (Goldstein and Osborn 1988:44), and Nassaney and Pyle (1999:247) suggest a similar lengthy range for Gary points at Plum Bayou. However, most archaeological interpretations of this sort are based on contexts that, at the very minimum, allow the possibility of temporal mixing. These contexts commonly include surface associations (e.g., Nassaney and Pyle 1999) and shallow, unstratified deposits or mound fill (e.g., Hurley 1975). Even stratified rockshelter deposits frequently exhibit mixing from natural (animal burrowing) or cultural activities (pit excavation) (e.g., Ahler 1993).

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3904/is_200204/ai_n9064134
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« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2007, 03:11:02 PM »

Belle,
would you care to comment on the Atlatl and dart with regard to arrowheads?

The Bow and Arrow is not the novel invention people today believe it to be, but rather a progression of existing technology. The existing technology, for thousands of years, was that of the Atlatl and Dart. Like the Bow, the Atlatl accelerates a flexible shaft from the rear. For the Bow the flexible shaft is called an Arrow. For the Atlatl the flexible shaft is called a Dart. Research by BPS Engineering has proven that the only difference between these two weapons - and a minor one at that - is the type of acceleration imparted to the rear of the flexible shaft. The Bow is a linear accelerator, accelerating the Arrow from the rear in a straight line. The Atlatl is an angular accelerator, accelerating the Dart from the rear in an arc. But, appearances aside, both physically and mathematically the Bow and the Atlatl are exactly the same type of weapon.


When accelerated from the rear, the Arrow and the Dart flex and store spring energy. This stored energy is then used to push away from the launching platform, whether the launching platform is the spur of the Atlatl or the string of the Bow. The mass of the projectile point, on either Dart or Arrow, influences the amount and rate at which energy is stored and released. The Atlatl and Dart and the Bow and Arrow are considered to be and defined as spring mass systems. And, related both physically and mathematically in nature and deceptively complex in their interpretation, they are both true weapons systems.
Cheers,
Doc
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LaBelleRiviere
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« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2007, 03:22:29 AM »

PROJECTILE POINTS OF MINNESOTA
A Brief Introduction

Daniel K. Higginbottom
Department of Interdisciplinary Archaeological Studies
University of Minnesota


 ?Arrowheads? are among the most commonly encountered and collected of all the artifact classes. They are found on archaeological sites throughout North America and are well represented in Minnesota?s private and institutional collections. The word arrowhead is inappropriate in many respects because it implies direct and/or indirect associations to specific culture complexes, particularly those related to bow-and-arrow hunting. The truth of the matter is, bow-and-arrow technology did not occur until quite late in North American prehistory. Consequently many stone tools are incorrectly assumed by their owners to have once been used as ?arrowheads? when, in fact, they more than likely were used as spear or dart points. In order to eliminate the confusion and misconceptions brought about by such a specific label, archaeologists have adopted the more generalized term, projectile point, which applies to all forms of chipped stone projectile tips.

Typically, spear and dart points are larger, heavier, and more rugged in structure than arrow points. Because of their bulk they were more likely to withstand the force of heavier impacts and glancing or misdirected blows. These heavier points were either hafted directly to stout wooden poles with leather or plant-fiber cordage or tendon sinew; or they were lashed to small dart shafts which were then inserted into a socket at the end of a wooden spear handle.

Spears and dart-spears were propelled either by a direct, forceful thrust, a javelin-like throw or they were hurled with the aid of an atlatl, a handle-like device that served as an extension to the arm. A perforated butterfly-shaped stone called a bannerstone was placed at the far end of the atlatl to increase the weight and leverage behind the throw. Spears and darts were designed to inflict deep gash wounds and, once imbedded, to aggravate the wound and keep blood flowing freely. Death by spear wound was a long, terrible process and often times was more the result of weakening through loss of blood than damage to vital organ. Hours, even days might pass before an animal would wholly surrender to its wounds or be sufficiently weakened to be brought down for the final kill.

Arrow points on the other hand are typically smaller, thinner and better adapted for use with lighter, string-propelled shafts. Their small size and light weight helped to streamline the arrow and increase the accuracy of its trajectory. They were often made from small flakes of chert that were struck off a flake core with a stone or antler hammer, and then were shaped by pressure flaking, a high precision flaking technique which employed a hand-held punching tool made of bone, antler or wood. The end of the punch was placed at the desired point along the edge of the tool and pressure was applied; then, with a quick sidewards snapping motion a flake was detached. Once formed, the point was sharpened using the marginal retouch technique whereby a series of tiny pressure flakes was removed along the blade margins to create more acute or serrated edges. A well-placed arrow was capable of inflicting a deep piercing wound that could penetrate well into the region of the vital organs for more instant results.

http://www.tcinternet.net/users/cbailey/lithic1.html

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http://www.ou.edu/cas/archsur/OKArtifacts/points.htm

Flint projectile points are one of the more common Indian artifacts found on archaeological sites. Such items are easily recognized and usually termed arrowheads. Archaeologists, however, prefer the term "projectile point" as one cannot always tell if the point was used on an atlatl dart, spear point, or arrow point. Projectile points vary a great deal in size, shape, and workmanship, and it is from such characteristics archaeologists are able to suggest the time period when certain types of points were in use. The different styles of projectile points are characteristic of certain time periods and localities, and many sites where these have been found have been dated by radiocarbon methods. Consequently, the style or type of projectile point tends to be representative of a particular time period or cultural grouping.
Although some variations on style may represent that projectile points were used for different purposes, this has not been demonstrated. The idea that points of a certain shape were "war points," "fish arrows," "bird points," etc. is not supported by the archaeological record.
Archaeologists usually classify projectile points into two broad groups: dart points and arrow points. In general, dart points are larger in size and weight than arrow points and were used as tips for darts or spears. Arrow points are smaller in size, weigh less, and were used as tips for various kinds of arrows. Examples of both types are shown in Figure 2.
Dart points exhibit enormous variation in form and workmanship. The smaller sized dart points overlap with the larger sized arrow points and commonly one cannot be certain with regard to the classification of a particular point. Most dart points, however, range from about 35 mm to 100 mm in length. Longer specimens, which are common, are usually termed "spearheads" by many writers but many of these are hafted knives or artifacts which served some special cultural function.

Dart points, either long or short, tend to have a wide stem or hafting area 10 mm or more in minimum width, for mounting on a heavy wooden shaft or dart foreshaft. Arrowheads, on the other hand, tend to have a stem width less than 10mm, compatible with mounting on an arrow shaft.
Dart points appear earliest in the archaeological record and were used for several thousands of years before the bow and arrow became available. Of course, the use of the atlatl and dart continued after the availability of the bow and arrow, but these were eventually abandoned. In general, dart points are to be associated with the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland and other early assemblages. Their final usage apparently disappears sometime during the first millennium AD.
Arrow points are small sized and light weight projectile points, usually less than 35 mm in length and with a narrow stem or hafting width. They are commonly made from a thin flake in which the flake scar is still evident on one face of the point. These are commonly termed "bird points" among collectors but this is an error as the point size is not to be correlated with the size of the game being hunted. The Plains Villagers, for example, used these small points for hunting the bison and dart points were apparently not used at all for this purpose.
The time of the appearance of the bow and arrow in Oklahoma is not known. Small points first occur in sites along with small dart points, perhaps 2000 years ago, but by AD 1000, arrow points appear to be the popular projectile point everywhere. From archaeological work with old Wichita sites, it appears that flint arrowheads were being replaced by metal points between AD 1750 and 1800.
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LaBelleRiviere
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« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2007, 05:02:08 AM »

Some pics of dart vs arrow points from my area.


* latest pics 029B.jpg (114.14 KB, 640x480 - viewed 4 times.)

* DSCN1058 copy.jpg (108.15 KB, 559x409 - viewed 19 times.)

* DSCN1002 copy.jpg (112.52 KB, 619x309 - viewed 4 times.)

* Copy of DSCN1261.JPG (123.21 KB, 700x403 - viewed 4 times.)
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Baja Bush Pilot
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« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2007, 05:49:21 AM »

All the 'arrowheads' we found as kids were probably dart points.  'Arrowhead Water', a major bottled watter supplier here, has a dart point on their trucks.  I found a dart point in my yard recently, not an arrowhead.  I love what I learn here.

Can we discern the same differences in more ancient points in other parts of the world?
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Regards,

Barry
LaBelleRiviere
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« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2007, 05:56:21 AM »

A pic of the dart and foreshaft system, which allowed quick recovery and "reloading" of the dart. The foreshaft and projectile point could also be used as a knife for butchering or a stabbing weapon.

Three varieties of atlatl weights or "bannerstones".


* Foreshaft.jpg (30.11 KB, 500x341 - viewed 15 times.)

* banner3.jpg (7.38 KB, 500x334 - viewed 19 times.)

* banner4.jpg (5.95 KB, 500x272 - viewed 18 times.)

* banner5.jpg (36.5 KB, 410x450 - viewed 15 times.)
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« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2007, 03:00:38 PM »

Bravo Belle,

Very nice piece of history! This was an education.
Cheers,
Doc
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